Encapsulated products have been described in which perfume or other poorly water-soluble oil is protected from hostile ingredients by being contained in solid products. Such products are formed by incorporating perfume or other poorly water-soluble oil in a water sensitive matrix which may be a starch or polymer or other material. These encapsulates can also be used to control the release of perfume until the product encounters water; alternatively the perfume may be slowly released by diffusion. The encapsulates may be added to a variety of consumer products, including laundry powder, soap, machinedishwash powder or any other substantially dry solid consumer product. During manufacture or storage these products may encounter high humidity which will cause the breakdown of the encapsulate and the premature release of the perfume.
High humidity conditions are frequently present in a laundry powder factory, particularly those which spray-dry the base powder, but also in non-tower production routes in humid climates. It is not unlikely that the conditions inside a factory could be 33.degree. C./90% relative humidity. Under these conditions a starch encapsulated perfume would be quickly released and the encapsulate powder would become a sticky mass, eventually deliquescing. Thus, it is not normally possible to use starch or similar water soluble encapsulation materials to protect vulnerable perfume ingredients from the hostile materials present in the laundry powder base.
Similarly, very humid conditions are frequently found in soap manufacturing, and in addition soaps may retain a degree of free water within their structure. Thus water sensitive encapsulates are not normally suitable for use in these products.